


Ms. Maria Reynolds Walked Into Into My Life

by minervajeanlupin



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Angelica is badass, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexual Male Character, Canon Era, Divorce, Eliza is a cinnamon roll, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, I just want them to be happy and gay together, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Maria had a sad life, Multi, Nightmares, Polyamory, Those are the only historical accurate parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2018-12-30 07:30:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12103758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minervajeanlupin/pseuds/minervajeanlupin
Summary: What should have happened when Alexander Hamilton first met Maria Reynolds.Set in canon era with eventual Alex/Maria/Eliza.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I haven't posted or updated anything for so long, I've just started high school and we get assigned a LOT of homework. Anyway, I was inspired to write this when I visited New York recently. I was disappointed by the lack of Alex/Maria/Eliza (do they even have ship name??), so I decided to contribute. This is placed in The Grange, which I visited during my trip. I know the Hamiltons' only moved to The Grange after Philip's death, much after The Reynolds Affair, but I still decided to place the story there as I wanted to incorporate some of the things I saw into the story. Comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!

Hamilton didn’t hear the first knock on his door. He was in his study, surrounded by stacks of papers and scribbling something down furiously, muttering to himself like a madman. He was all alone in the house and missing his wife and children more than he’d like to admit, so he decided to bury himself in his work to pass the time away. It worked maybe a little too well, and he ended up pulling a couple of all-nighters, which he had tried to stop doing a while back after almost fainting during an exam in his old college days- key word _tried._

He did hear the second knock though. He paused, his quill poised over a piece of parchment as his tired, addled brain tried to figure out where the sound was coming from. The person knocked again, this time a bit more desperately. He stood up, frowning, a bit confused. He wasn’t expecting anyone. It could be Eliza, perhaps she decided to surprise him early, which she would definitely do (and has done before), but he didn’t think so. She had a key after all and could let herself in, and she wouldn’t be standing outside, waiting for him at this hour. It could be one of his friends, but he doubted that too. Most of his friends were visiting Europe at their wives’ insistence, him being the only one able to refuse. And he wasn’t particularly close to any of them anyway, as he knew none of them would be able to amount to his closest friend, John Laurens (He felt a pang when he thought about Laurens- he had never loved anyone more, maybe even Eliza, which she knew and was okay with. God, he just had the most understanding wife in the world).

He made his way to the door and opened it before the person outside left, discouraged, or knocked again.

“Okay, who is it-” he was saying before he noticed who was standing outside and couldn't finish his sentence.

Standing outside, illuminated by the fading light, was maybe the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. She had dark, lustrous curls cascading down her back, large, soulful eyes that could trap a person in their depth, and was wearing an almost scandalous red dress that accentuated her curves. She had a hand outstretched to knock again and quickly retracted it, her movements seemingly normal to an untrained eye, but to Alexander they looked nervous and maybe even fearful.

“Hello, sir,” she said and her voice was melodious and slightly pitiful.

“Hello,” he replied graciously, already feeling sorry for this woman he had just met. “Do you need anything?”

“Y-yes,” she said hesitantly. “My name is Maria Reynolds. I’m so sorry to bother you at home, but I have no where else to go and I’ve heard people saying you are a man of honor.” Alexander nodded, his curiosity piqued. It wasn’t too unusual for people to show up at his doorstep, either to curse or thank him for when he was treasury secretary, or to plead for his help in a court case.

“Well…” she said, wringing her hands. “My husband is abusive, he keeps beating me and sleeping with other woman, and now he’s left and I don’t know what to do.” She said in a rush. Alexander blinked as he processed her words, then his fist curled in anger. She noticed and flinched away slightly, which only made him angrier as she was probably so frightened because her husband hit her, but he made an effort to relax and uncurl his fist so she would calm down. He just really hated it when men took advantage of their wives, as that had happened to his mother when he was young.

“I’m truly sorry to hear that, Ms. Reynolds,” Alex said, treating this like any of his other lawyer cases though he had admittedly never had a client so attractive.

“It’s Maria,” she said softly. Alex froze for a second before remembering himself and nodding graciously and letting her in. He led her to the parlor and sat on the couch. She sat rather uncomfortably close to him, but he took it as a positive sign that she was comfortable enough to be close to him.

“So, Maria, tell me what happened,” he said. She took a deep breath and began. As she kept talking, Alex found himself getting angrier and angrier. She even mentioned that her husband told her that he was okay with her sleeping with other men after she found out he was cheating, as though that was okay. The last part was said with a suggestive look in her eyes which Alex tried his best to ignore.

After she was done, Alex stood up, almost shaking with anger, and walked out of the room.

“Please don’t go sir, I’m sorry if I said something wrong!” He heard her pitiful cry as he left. He turned back to face her, shocked.

“I’m not leaving Ms. R- Maria. I’ll be right back, I promise.” And he was. He soon came back to the room and handed her thirty dollars.

“This should take care of you for some time, and I’ll be happy to provide you with more money as you wish,” he said. She stared at the money, then at him, tears welling in her beautiful eyes. She stood up and hugged him tightly. He stilled up at first, not expecting it, but gently hugged her back.

“Thank you,” she murmured into his neck. He nodded, turning slightly red. She let go and seemed a bit embarrassed at her impromptu gesture, so he smiled encouragingly, letting her know it was okay.

“You said your husband wasn’t here today, right?” Alexander recalled. “Well, why don’t you stay here? I have plenty of room, and it’s not safe for a woman to stay alone.” He knew that most of society would frown upon a man and woman that weren’t married to each other staying together alone, but he also didn’t care. He knew Eliza would have done the same, that she would have insisted on helping Maria anyway they could, rather than being jealous, like most wives. Eliza was well-known for her kindness.

Maria looked up when he said that, surprise evident on her pretty but tired face. She seemed even more tired when he said that, as though she had resigned herself to an unusually cruel fate. A flash of something similar to disappointment swept across her face and Alexander wasn’t sure why.

“Sure,” she said with no hesitance, which surprised Alex, thinking he would have to convince her further. “Thank you.”

He silently led her upstairs to the guest bedroom that Angelica often used. She seemed a lot more reserved and closed off than she was before, which disappointed Alexander. He wanted to get to know her better, to help her however he could.

They reached the guest bedroom and he stood there waiting for her to say something. They were standing a bit closer together than was socially acceptable.

But instead of saying anything, Maria Reynolds, one of the most attractive people he had ever met and a complete stranger, pulled him down by the front of his shirt and kissed him.

Alex made a small noise in surprise when he registered soft lips on his, but he slowly melted into the kiss, tangling his hands in her thick hair. This was more passionate than any other kiss he’d had before, excluding the night he and John had spent together before they separated to fight in different battles. Fireworks were going off in his head, and he couldn’t think of anything but Maria and the way her body fit perfectly against his and the way she was slowly leading him towards the bed and-

He broke off the kiss with difficulty when he heard a loud crash, raising his head and shaking it a little to get over his exhilarated daze. Staring at them, aghast, was Eliza, a bowl she had gotten for Alex shattered on the ground, just like her trust.

“Eliza-” Alexander began to say, but she just stared at him, then turned around and fled. He started to go after, to explain what happened, when he heard a sniff and turned back.

Maria was curled up into a ball, sobbing. The sight broke Alex’s heart and he quickly went over to comfort her.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. Everything’s fine,” he soothed, draping an arm around her gently.

“I’m sorry,” she said tearfully. “M-my husband forces me to sleep with men so he can blackmail them for money, that’s the only reason I did this, and you were so kind to me and-” She stopped, unable to speak through her crying.

“That’s okay, I’m sorry you had to go through that,” Alex said, rubbing her back to calm her down. It seemed to work and Maria soon fell asleep, tear tracks still evident on her face. Alex gently removed her hair out of her face before pulling a blanket over her and leaving. He made his way downstairs.

He stopped suddenly when he saw the furious and hurt Eliza waiting for him in the parlor, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. He gulped. He had forgotten how intimidating Eliza could be when she was mad. He was just glad that Angelica wasn’t here, or he would have been sporting a giant red handprint on his face already (and he would have lost the right to make fun of the time Angelica slapped Jefferson).

“You better have a good explanation for this,” she said, her voice laced with quiet fury. He put his hands up defensively.

“I do, I promise you. But first, where are the children and Angelica?” He asked placently. She frowned, suspicious of the change in topic, but still responded.

“They’re with father. I decided to come back early, and I’m glad I did! Who is that girl, and how long has this been going on?”

“Her name is Maria Reynolds. And I only met her today.” Slowly, Alexander explained everything that Maria had told him, including how her husband forced her to seduce him. Eliza’s expression slowly softened as she heard what he was saying, and she uncrossed her arms.

“Wow,” she said finally. Alexander nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.

“That poor, poor girl,” Eliza continued, anger blazing in her eyes for a different reason- James Reynolds better watch out.

“Yes,” Alexander agreed softly. “I offered to let her stay upstairs, and I’ll work on her divorce case in the morning.” Eliza smiled and pecked his cheek.

“You did the right thing. Now come on, help me clean up the shards of the bowl I dropped, we don’t want her getting hurt in the morning.” Alex nodded and they walked upstairs, carefully removing the shards of the bowl without waking up Maria, who was sleeping peacefully. When they were done, Eliza said in a teasing voice,

“You know, she really is pretty. I wouldn’t have been able to blame you if you did cheat on me with her.”

“Eliza!” Alexander said in a scandalized voice, though he couldn’t stop laughing. He truly had been blessed with the best wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Historical Notes:  
> -Hamilton had his own study room where he kept a portable writing desk (so he could write wherever he went). It was painted completely green, which was really expensive in those days.  
> -Angelica actually did slap Thomas Jefferson! It's one of my favorite historical facts of all time.  
> -Maria Reynolds was blonde?? I still can't believe this, because it was really hard to find a picture of her, so I just always pictured her the way she was portrayed in the musical.  
> -The parlor was painted yellow and had a card table, a few chairs, and a couch, which is why I described the parlor that way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like this! Please leave kudos or a comment if you enjoy this story, I love them and they encourage me to become a better writer!

To say that Maria Reynolds was confused in the morning would be an understatement. When she awoke and looked around, she immediately realized she wasn’t in her bedroom and started to panic. The only way this could have happened was if she was at the house of someone she had just slept with, which would be bad as the mornings after were always awkward for her. The men (and a few women, though that had only been before she had gotten married) would try to make uncomfortable small talk or want to go for a second round, which she rarely had energy for.

She was completely confuddled, and more than a little frightened, when she remembered what had occurred last night, how Mrs. Hamilton had caught her husband and her in bed. She flushed slightly, embarrassed at what the woman, who had looked so kind and pretty, must think of her.

But her disorientation was only heightened when she went downstairs after mustering up her courage.

“Hello Maria.” Mrs. Hamilton called cheerfully as she made breakfast in the kitchen. “Did you sleep well?”

“H-hello Mrs. Hamilton,” Maria said nervously, unsure of why the woman hadn’t thrown her out of the house in a rage yet. It wouldn’t be the first time. “I slept well, thank you.” The woman wrinkled her nose.

“Don’t call me Mrs. Hamilton, it sounds too formal. Call me Eliza instead,” she invited. Maria nodded, still deciding to tread carefully. Alexander walked in from another room and Maria tensed up, not sure what to expect.

“Oh, hello Maria. And good morning, Betsy.” He kissed his wife on the cheek and she smiled. “I have to go to work soon, but why don’t we all have breakfast together first?” Maria blinked, unused to such generosity, but made her way to the table once Eliza nodded in agreement.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. Breakfast wasn’t nearly as awkward as she had been expecting. The food was amazing, and though she was much poorer than the Hamiltons than she’d like to admit, she remembered her manners and was polite. The Hamiltons talked to each other but it didn’t feel like they were discluding her. She liked hearing them talk together.

Once breakfast was over, Alexander left with a promise to start on her divorce case as soon as possible, to which Maria thanked him profusely. She helped Mrs. Hamilton clear the dishes in a house that suddenly seemed much too quiet without Alex’s energy.

“Did you sleep in that dress?” Mrs. Hamilton asked her. She nodded. “Well, that won’t do. You can borrow one of my gowns.”

Maria followed Eliza up, still unable to believe that someone could possibly be this kind (and attractive, as well. The Hamiltons were a dangerous duo). Eliza pulled on her gowns from the closet, a simple but elegant white dress.

“Do you need help removing your corset?” she asked. Maria shook her head, blushing. She wasn’t actually wearing a corset, as she knew from experience that it took a lot of time to get it off and the men her husband forced her to be with never had the patience to remove it properly.

She took the dress from Mrs. Hamilton and their fingers touched briefly. Maria wasn’t sure why, but she felt her heartbeat go faster at such a small touch. She assumed it was because she was still nervous around the other woman.

Maria quickly walked into the nearby closet, trying to clear her head as she pulled on the gown. She walked outside to where Mrs. Hamilton was waiting, feeling strangely uncomfortable in such a nice dress. Maybe it was because Mrs. Hamilton was staring at her, a light blush dusting her cheeks.

“You look good in that dress,” she finally said and Maria ducked her head, embarrassed. “Much better than me at least.”

“I’m sure that’s not true, you always look good!” Maria exclaimed, finally speaking up in shock. Mrs. Hamilton, no, Eliza, smiled at her and Maria felt butterflies in her stomach.

“But you should keep the dress. Really,” she said, putting up a hand to stop Maria’s protests and stuttered thanks. “It’s the least I could do.” Maria looked at her, amazed. Who was this woman?

“W-why would you want to help me?” she asked. “Not that I don’t appreciate it in the slightest.” She quickly amended when she realized she sounded ungrateful. Eliza smiled gently.

“Because you deserve better Maria,” she said simply. Maria stared at her. The two of them were sitting much closer together than she realized, gravitating to each other like magnets. There was a silence and Maria couldn’t help it any longer, she knew it was the wrong thing to do, but-

All her panicked thoughts melted away as their lips met. It was so different to the kiss she had shared with Alexander last night: it was soft and gentle, Eliza cradling the side of her face like she was afraid she was going to break. They moved away a little after they broke apart, but stayed in each other’s space, their eyes still closed.

“Maria…” Eliza murmured. That broke the spell. Maria eyes’ flew open and she quickly stood up, realizing what she had done.

“I have to go,” she muttered, her cheeks flaming red. Eliza stared at her retreating back, shocked, until Alexander soon returned from his meeting.

“Eliza? Are you okay?” he asked.

“I… I think I may love someone of the same gender as myself as well,” she said. Though she was surprised, she wasn’t afraid. She knew she couldn’t tell anyone else, but Alexander would understand, having experienced something similar with John. Sure enough, he broke out into a smile and looked amused.

“Join the club,” he said.

* * *

 Maria creeped into her house nervously. She unlocked the door carefully and closed it behind her, taking care not to make any noise, pretending she wasn’t afraid to be inside her own home. But as she was about to climb the stairs, she heard a voice.

“So. You’re finally home.” She turned and saw her husband sitting on a couch nearby, empty bottles littering the floor near his feet. That wasn’t a good sign.

“Y-yes,” she said uncertainly, not sure what to say.

“And how did it go?” he prompted, his words slurred. Her hands shook and she hid them behind her dress.

“He… he didn’t want to do it,” she said, hating the way her voice cracked, showing how afraid she really was. James got unsteadily to his feet and she shrunk away.

“He didn’t,” he said flatly. She shook her head, her movements nervous. “Then why didn’t you convince him?!” he said, his voice raised. She flinched at his loud tone.

“You earn no money, you’re utterly useless, and you can’t even do this?” he snarled. He took a step forward and she stepped back at the same time, a cruel dance that would never end well for her. She saw his hand raised and made a split-second decision; she ran under his arm and fled through the door. He tried to grab her as she went, his fingers catching on her dress and tearing it to shreds.

 

Eliza was humming peacefully, writing a letter to her children and Angelica, as they weren’t going to be home for at least another week. She finished it and left it out to dry, smiling fondly when she saw her husband immersed in a book. She leaned over and kissed the worry lines on his forehead, which straightened out as he looked up at her and smiled.

“Everything okay?” she asked, moving to open the door as she heard someone knocking on it.

“Yeah,” he said, following her. “Just researching for a case.”

“What case?” she asked as she opened the door. Then she saw who it was and gasped.

She hadn’t seen Maria Reynolds since that first day they met, but she couldn’t forget her. She was disappointed Maria hadn’t come to see them again and had made up her mind to visit the woman should yet another week pass with no sight of her. And now, standing on their doorstep and breathing heavily as though she had run a great distance, wearing the gown Eliza had let her borrow in tatters, was none other than Maria herself.

“That’s the case,” Alex said, astounded.

“Maria, come in!” Eliza said immediately. “Are you okay?” The woman was shivering slightly though it was a warm day. Eliza swore that if she ever met James Reynolds, he was going to regret ever laying a finger on Maria.

“Y-yes,” Maria stuttered. “Thank you.”

The walked inside and went to the parlor.

Maria sat on the couch with Alex and Eliza sitting next to them. She had been thinking of them all week long; she just couldn’t forget them. It wasn’t the first time she had fantasized one of the men she was forced to sleep with rescuing her from her abusive husband, but it certainly was the first time she had been attracted to his wife as well. She didn’t even know you could be this attracted to two people at once, but Eliza and Alex made it hard not to: they were both so different but still amazing, resilient, attractive people. They fit together so perfectly, it was clear they were meant to be together.

Which is exactly why they’d never even consider having a relationship with her.

“You don’t have to tell us, of course, but Maria… what happened?” Eliza asked gently, resting her hand on Maria’s. Maria took a deep breath and, in a wavery tone, regaled them with the entire tale. They couldn’t mask the horrified looks on their faces when she was finished.

“Oh, Maria,” Eliza sighed and went over to hug her. Alexander watched them for a second with tears in his eyes before writing something down quickly.

“Okay, Maria, from what I’ve heard, you are most likely going to be able to get a successful divorce,” he said. She smiled at him gratefully, before he continued.

“But you may have to delineate these stories again at the trial, and your husband is going to be there… will you be okay with that?” Maria shivered slightly, already able to imagine those threatening and discerning eyes staring at her while she was talking about what he had done, promising her silently that it wouldn’t end well if she continued. This divorce could end up badly for her if it didn’t work. But she trusted Alex. She knew he would do everything to get her a successful divorce.

“Yes,” she whispered. “If it helps, I’ll do it.” Alexander smiled.

“I’m proud of you.”

She ended up staying the night there, as they insisted she couldn’t go back to her house after what had happened. She stayed awake for a long time, staring up at the ceiling, wondering when their home had become more familiar than her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for putting in so much marliza... I just love them too much. I promise the next chapter will have more hamliza and whatever the ship name for Maria and Alex is (please let me know if you know what it's called!)  
> Some Historical Notes:  
> -Maria had a five year old daughter named Susan when the affair started with Hamilton  
> -The two of them were staying at a boardhouse at the time, and there were other people living there as well  
> -Maria married James Reynolds when she was only fifteen!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's probably not going to be any more James Reynolds in this as I really don't like him. Please let me know if you have any ideas on how this story should progress, I love hearing from you guys! I live for kudos and comments!

“So what happened?” Eliza asked anxiously. She had been pacing around the courthouse for what had seemed like forever and she was still mad that they hadn’t allowed her in to watch the trial. Maria gave her a very tired but relieved smile.

“We’re divorced!” she said happily, clasping her hands with Eliza’s. Eliza smiled back, thrilled that Maria wouldn’t have to live with her abuser any longer. Alexander followed her, looking a bit upset.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him.

“Reynolds didn’t end up in jail. I should have done more,” he muttered.

“Don’t say that,” Maria scolded, sounding a lot more confident than before. “You’ve helped me in so many ways.” She leaned over to hug him and Eliza tried not to laugh at his surprised expression.

Maria pulled away and her carefree expression crumbled a little.

“Oh no,” she said worriedly. “I just realized I have nowhere to go now, as he kept the rights to the house.”

“You’re staying with us,” Eliza said firmly. “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“But you both have helped me so much, and I can never repay you for any of this,” Maria protested. She already felt very guilty that she wasn’t able to pay Alexander much for helping her out, though he constantly insisted it was okay.

“Maria,” Eliza said, laying a hand on her shoulder, “We like having you around. Please stay. For us.” Maria looked at her and couldn’t say no.

“Okay,” she conceded. “Thank you.” 

And that was how Maria Reynolds ended up staying with the two most attractive people she had ever met, both of whom she had a crush on.

* * *

 

They got into a routine fairly quickly. Eliza would be the first to wake, and she would sit outside and savor the peace and quiet. Maria would be the next to awake and she would sit next to Eliza, still getting used to this feeling of protection and contentment. They would be careful not to wake up Alexander, knowing he probably stayed up all night working and needing his rest.

Once Alexander was awake, he would work on whatever new case had come his way while Eliza and Maria made breakfast. They would eat together, talking and laughing about their childhood. Maria loved this time of day, she loved being able to listen to the two of them talk about their past.

Once Alex had hurried out of the house after kissing them both on the cheek, Maria and Eliza would do chores, like cleaning the house. Though this would seem like it would be dull, monotonous work, Maria didn’t mind doing it with Eliza. It was actually quite fun at times; they even had a water fight once that left them, and everything in the vicinity, soaked.

Once Alexander returned, the three of them would chat comfortably until night, illuminated by the soft glow of the fireplace. Alexander would often rant about the terrible opinions of everyone he didn’t like, which was a very, very long list. Eliza and Maria would nod seriously at his tirades, but exchange glances behind his back, their eyes bright with mirth and restrained laughter.

The two of them would then head to their respective rooms, Maria occupying one of the guest bedrooms for now. She knew Eliza sometimes stayed awake until late at night, making sure her husband didn’t spend too much time working, and she had begun to do the same.

It was domesticity and it was bliss. Maria tried to stop herself from feeling too attached to them, but it was too late. She was completely head-over-heels. And how could she not be? They made her a better person: Eliza helped her become more carefree and trust others again, while Alexander encouraged her to take more risks, and helped her stop being so compliant. She was always worried about intruding on them, not wanting to outstay her welcome, but she needn’t have worried. They both seemed to genuinely like her company- Eiza was always telling her how great it was to have another ally to force Alex to stop working, and Alexander liked her company as she was the only one willing to listen to his stories about all the times he defeated Jefferson in a debate (she found the stories amusing but Eliza assured her she wouldn’t after he repeated the same story twenty times).

But she managed to ignore her feelings, or at least conceal them pretty well. Sure, sometimes she would zone out and stare at Alex’s stunning eyes as he ranted, or she would blush when her and Eliza’s fingers touched for a second too long, but they didn’t seem to notice. She was glad for all the peace in the house, but she dreaded to think what would happen if they found out just how much she liked them. Certainly nothing good. But for the most part it was peaceful. In the mornings, at least.

She had no control over night though. Almost night, after she had bade farewell to Elia and Alex and made her way to dark room, she had nightmares filled with terror and trauma that left her gasping for breath, unable to go back to sleep for a long time. One night she had an incredibly vivid dream of a time her ex-husband beat her so much she nearly died. She woke up from the dream screaming, clutching the bedsheets desperately. Her breathing was heavy and labored, and she tried to be quiet as she didn’t want to disturb anyone else.

“Maria?” Alex asked quietly as he opened her door slowly. Maria sighed. He had heard. “Are you okay?”

“I’m… fine,” she said, her voice hoarse. Alex cautiously approached her bed.

“Nightmares?” he asked sympathetically, a glint of understanding in his eyes. She nodded miserably.

“I keep dreaming of… of  _ him _ ,” she said in a whisper. He walked over and sat down next to her on the bed.

“I have nightmares too,” he said, reaching over to grasp her hand. “I keep imagining the hurricane and the devastation afterwards, how my mother was holding me and then wasn’t there the next moment, the time my brother and I arrived home only to find our cousin’s blood splattered over the steps, all the lives I took and the lives of my friends that had been taken during the war… I can stop myself from remembering this during the day, but I’m vulnerable at night. It’s a constant, exhausting cycle.”

She squeezed his hand.

“Does it ever end?” she asked. He considered it for a moment.

“No,” he said finally. “But it does get better. Eliza helps a lot. Being close to other people that care about you makes it a lot easier for me to remember that all of that was in the past, that I have a loving family now that aren’t going to leave me.” Maria nodded, her eyes trickling with tears.

“Well, I don’t really have anyone like that,” she said with a self-deprecating laugh to hide how deeply affected she actually was with the thought that no one cared about her. Alexander turned to her, shocked.

“What are you talking about?” he asked. “We care about you.  _ We _ are your family.” She looked down, blushing. Maybe, just maybe, Eliza and Alex cared about her as much as she cared about them.

“You know what?” Alex continued. “Sleep with Eliza and I. We’ll be right next to you in you need anything.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly-” Maria protested.

“There’s more than enough space,” Alex interjetced. He knew most of society would greatly look down upon this, but frankly, he didn’t care. “Please, Maria. For me.” Maria thought about it for a moment. It was probably a terrible idea, but she still felt shaky and just wanted to be near someone else \-  or two someone elses.

“Okay,” she whispered. Alexander helped her up and they walk to her room. They tried not to wake up Eliza, but she was a light sleeper (which was useful as Alex had to be more cautious about staying up till three in the morning, like he had just done) and woke up anyway. She didn’t say anything, though, and just smiled at the two of them sleepily and moved to the side to make space for Maria.

Maria had the best sleep in her life. And if she woke up and felt as though she was on the top of the world when she saw Eliza’s arm curled protectively around her waist and Alex’s hand resting lightly on top of hers, well then, nobody needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Historical Notes:  
> -Eliza actually forgave Alex for cheating on her pretty quickly, much before Philip died  
> -Maria wrote her own pamphlet about the affair but no one would publish it  
> -She changed her last name and worked as a housekeeper to some doctor and later ended up marrying him  
> -Aaron Burr set himself on fire two separate times trying to light a candle with gunpowder. Not related to the story, but I just thought that was important for everyone to know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I wasn't going to be able to post this on time as my house recently had a carbon monoxide leak, which was obviously a harrowing experience, and then I fell sick today. But I did it! I didn't have time to proofread though, so please let me know if there are any mistakes and I'll fix them immediately! Also, I know I said in the notes of the last chapter that Burr wasn't going to be in the story, but I think I might add him in one of the future chapters, so just letting you all know. Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!

So they continued as normal, acting like any other innocent family with a friend visiting by day and curling up and seeking comfort from each other by night. They became closer than ever, Maria and Alex sharing stories about their youth to each other and Eliza nervously explaining to Maria an idea she had to create an orphanage and perhaps a safehouse for women in abusive relationships, which Maria of course wholeheartedly agreed with.

Maria blinked awake one day, have woken up by a door opening. She raised her head slightly, her wavy hair a mess like it always was in the mornings, and saw a tall woman standing there. She was a bit intimidating and Maria gulped. She reached out to take Alex’s hand, which was right next to hers, as an automatic reaction. She tried not to think too much of that and focused on the woman instead.

“Eliza.” The woman said, strangely calm. “Why is there a woman in yours and Alex’s bed.”

“Oh!” Eliza said. Maria just realized she was also awake. “Maria, this is Angelica, my sister.” Maria gave her a nervous smile.

“Pleased to meet you,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Um, Maria, could you maybe go downstairs and wait while I talk to Angelica please?” Eliza asked. Maria nodded and left, Eliza’s eyes following her out the room.

“You like her.” Angelica said simply. Eliza felt her face turn red and didn’t respond. “So who is she?” Angelica continued.

Eliza explained Maria’s entire story. Angelica shook her head, sighing. 

“This is why I hate being a woman at this time,” she complained. “We have barely any power, it’s honestly a miracle Alex managed to get her half the rights she has now.” Eliza nodded sympathetically. They had discussed this before, when Angelica had revealed her hopes of women one day having equal rights to men. It didn’t seem possible in the near future, though.

“So do you actually like her?” Angelica continued in a more teasing voice. “I knew of Alex’s preferences, but I had no idea about you!”

“Angelica!” Eliza complained. Angelica just laughed and Eliza couldn’t help but smile at her. Oh, how she had missed her sister.

“I’m your older sister, it’s my job to embarrass you,” she pointed out.

“Okay, okay.” Eliza sighed helplessly. “Yeah… I do. I really like her. She’s amazing; she’s so kind and helpful and have you  _ seen _ her?! And I know Alex likes her too, and it’s just so cute to see the two of them talk to one another-”

“I could say the same about the two of you,” came a muffled voice from underneath the quilt. Eliza playfully smacked the Alex-shaped lump next to her.

“Of all moments, you choose now to wake up?” she asked in mock-anger. Alex raised his head from the quilt and smirked at her.

“Oh, I’ve been awake the entire time,” he said. Eliza shook her head at him fondly.

“You were right, I like her too,” he added as an afterthought.

“So what are you waiting for?” Angelica cried. “Go! Tell her about all this instead of me!”

“What if she doesn’t like us back though?” Eliza said in a subdued voice. “She’s already experienced so much pain in her life…” Angelica rolled her eyes.

“You may not have noticed, but this morning, when she saw me, a stranger that she wasn’t sure she could trust, she looked at you for comfort and grabbed Alex’s hand as a natural reaction. I’m pretty sure she likes you too. Besides, who doesn’t like the two of you! You’re practically America’s favorite couple, with only James and Dolley Madison coming close! Everyone loves you both!” Eliza looked at Alexander, who nodded.

“She’s right, you know. Everyone loves us,” he said with a grin. Eliza smiled, knowing that definitely wasn’t the case, but disregarded it.

“Well, I’ll go downstairs now,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the children, but I do hope they aren’t bothering Mar- Ms. Lewis too much.” 

Angelica followed her down the stairs, and they were greeted by an adorable sight at the parlor: Angelica Jr. excitedly showing Maria the piano her aunt and namesake had gotten for her while in Europe as Eliza Jr. combed and braided Maria’s hair.

“Your hair is so beautiful,” she said dreamily.

“That it is,” her mother agreed. Maria looked up to see the two of them and blushed. She made to get up, but both girls cried loudly in protest.

“I haven’t finished braiding your hair!” Eliza Jr. said. “It’s going to look so pretty when done.”

“And you asked me to play a song for you… do you still want to hear it?” Angelica Jr. asked quietly. She had always been a more withdrawn child, off in her own world, and Eliza was thrilled to see how quickly she was getting acquainted with Maria. Angelica shared her sentiment.

“I’ve never seen her warm up to someone that fast,” she whispered to her sister. Eliza nodded.

“Of course, I would love to hear a song,” Maria told her, smiling warmly at the young girl. The young girl beamed back and began to play as her sister weaved flowers through Maria’s hair. Eliza looked on fondly, feeling as though her heart was going to burst from happiness.

“Hey, mom, can I talk to you?” Philip asked her. He had been standing to the side and she hadn’t noticed him.

“Of course,” she said, walking out of the room with him. She pulled him into a hug; they hadn’t been apart for very long, but she had still missed all her children. She had no idea how Alexander managed to do it. Philip hugged her back tightly. She still couldn’t believe how tall he was- she still couldn’t help but see him as the young, overly-excited kid that just wanted to make his parents proud. And he had succeeded; she couldn’t be prouder of him.

“So who was that woman?” he asked when they had separated. Eliza hesitated and he raised an eyebrow.

“It’s okay, you can tell me,” he promised. “I’m not a young kid anymore, I understand more than you think.”

“I genuinely don’t know,” she replied helplessly. “I have a fairly good idea of who  _ I _ want her to be, but I have no idea where we are as of now.”

“Well, good luck I suppose,” he said. “And if it’s any consolation, I’m pretty sure all the kids like her. Myself included.” Eliza smiled fondly at him and patted his cheek gratefully. She was lucky to have such a great and caring son. They headed back to the parlor, where they saw Alexander surrounded by his children, all clamoring for his attention. Philip and Eliza exchanged a wry smile as Philip went to greet his father.

“Hey pops!” he called out.

“Philip!” Alex greeted back. He tried to pretend it wasn’t true, but everyone could see that Philip was his favorite.

“Okay, everyone, settle down. We get that you missed your father, but please calm down. Eliza, stop hugging on to his leg and stand up. Okay, good. Let’s go have breakfast now, I’m sure you’ve all been driving Aunt Angelica insane by complaining about how hungry you were.” Eliza spoke quickly and efficiently, shepherding all her kids into the dining room. They all sat down at their respective seats, Maria getting the guest of honor seat at the head of the table. Alex and Eliza sat on either side of her and Angelica next to Eliza. Everyone broke off into comfortable side conversations and Eliza started chatting with Angelica, eager to hear about all she had missed on the trip.

“Are you planning on going to upcoming banquet the Knox family is holding?” Angelica asked. “I’m not as I must leave for England soon once more.” Alex scowled at the mention, clearly reluctant to attend. Eliza gave him a reprimanding look.

“Yes, we’re going. Alex might not want to, but it would be rude to cancel and we do have to make a good impression after all,” she reminded.

“Okay, but only if Maria is coming. I need to have someone to talk to while Eliza socializes with the elite and makes sure my reputation isn’t completely tarnished.” He seemed to be joking but from what Maria knew about their relationship, she wasn’t so sure.

Alex soon realized what he had said and backtracked quickly.

“Of course, you don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” he amended hastily. Maria looked at him, a nervous but excited gleam in her eyes. She shrugged.

“Well, I’d actually like to attend if it isn’t too much trouble. I’ve never been to one of these things before,” she admitted in her usual soft voice. Eliza’s eyes sparkled. Even though there was a long way to go, she was glad that Maria was slowly regaining her confidence, which was part of what made her so attractive.

“Of course,” she reassured. “We’d be happy to have you there.”

Once dinner was over and the kids were once again all surrounding Maria and begging for her attention. (Eliza was worried she would feel too overwhelmed but she just laughed and conversed with the children, a smile never leaving her face.)

“Eliza, I need to talk to you,” Angelica said in a quiet voice. The two of them walked out into the hall.

“What is it?” Eliza asked, eager to get back to the parlor to see what seemed to be Philip and Angelica Jr. performing a duet for Maria. She wondered ideally if she would be able to convince Maria to join in. She certainly had a beautiful voice.

“Are you that was the wisest decision?” Angelica voiced her concern. “Inviting Maria to the banquet?” Eliza was pulled out from her daydream like state and remembered the previous conversation. She sighed.

“Maybe not,” she admitted. “But when have I ever been known for thinking rationally? I married Alexander after all.” Angelica snorted.

“But it should be fine,” she continued. “Alex and I will make sure she’ll be okay. Plus, did you see how excited she looked at the prospect of going? I couldn’t just tell her no.” Angelica looked thoughtful.

“Okay, but be careful,” she warned. “You don’t need any more excitement in your life.” Eliza was about respond when suddenly there was a loud crash coming from the parlor. She sighed.

“That’s for sure,” she muttered as she went to make sure no one was hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of people kill Philip even in their fanfics, but I'm probably not going to do that (unless you guys think I should- I'm open to ideas).
> 
> Some Historical Notes:  
> -Angelica did get Angelica Jr. a piano from Europe (I almost cried when I saw it in The Grange as it reminded me too much of Take A Break and Stay Alive Reprise)  
> -Henry Knox, whose banquet they're planning on going to, was first Secretary of War and was friends with Washington for a while but they later stopped being so close  
> -People did love and admire James and Dolley Madison, and Eliza and Alex as well (Also I have a headcanon that Thomas has the same relationship with the Madisons as Maria has with the Hamiltons in this fic, but you can ignore that if you don't like Jeffmads)  
> -Alex's favorite child was probably actually James, not Philip, but he did love Philip a lot and was absolutely broken at his death  
> -Angelica Jr. was very close to Philip and became extremely traumatized after his death. She would forget that he was dead frequently and would talk to people that weren't there  
> -And I've decided to end each chapter with a random history fact not related to the fic at all, so: James and Dolley Madison owned a machine that would give people an electric shock and make their hair stand up and they used it as entertainment during dinner parties (it was a huge hit)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the last chapter! I might add another one, though, as I think it ends a little abruptly. Please leave kudos or a comment if you enjoyed the story!

“How do I look?” Maria asked, twisting a strand of her hair nervously as she stood in front of Eliza, waiting for her verdict. Eliza didn’t say anything though, as she was absolutely speechless.

Maria was wearing a red dress, which she had revealed to Eliza was her favorite color, but it was much more appropriate for the banquet than the old one she owned. It was a lot less bright, and more of a maroon color now, along with a much longer and fuller skirt and intricate embroidery. She looked absolutely stunning in it.

“Eliza?” Maria’s voice snapped Eliza out of her trance.

“You look gorgeous,” she immediately reassured the now-blushing woman. “I can genuinely say all eyes will be on you.”

“You and Alex are going to be there as well though!” Maria protested at once. The two of them smiled at each other, suddenly becoming shy.

“Maria, I need to tell you something…” Eliza was starting to say as Alex burst into the room.

“Oh,” he said. “Am I interrupting something?” Maria shook her head, her dark cheeks stained red.

“You look amazing by the way, Maria,” Alex added. Just like Eliza, he couldn’t stop staring at her. She ducked her head, smiling. Philip entered the room.

“The carriage is here,” he announced. “You all look incredible, go have fun.” Eliza and Alex exchanged amused glances at how much Philip sounded like a parent.

“Thank you,” Eliza replied, kissing him on the cheek and ruffling his hair affectionately. “Make sure all the kids get to bed on time- and that includes you.” Philip nodded and they all left.

“Wow,” Maria breathed as they walked into the lavishly decorated hall. Eliza and Alex smiled at her stunned (and quite frankly, stunning) expression.

“Okay, I see the Madisons. I’ll go greet them while you and Maria can get drinks and criticize his policies,” Eliza told Alex. He nodded and held out his arm for Maria to take. She did so, laughing, and they walked to a table laden with food and drinks.

“Do be honest, the only reason I agreed to come was the food,” Alex muttered to her.

“And not the company?” she asked teasingly, suddenly regaining her confidence. Her smile grew larger as Alex spluttered, not expecting that comment.

“Ah, Alexander! I wasn’t expecting to see you here,”someone behind Maria said. Both of them turned around at the sound.

“Aaron Burr,” Alex greeted shortly. It was clear he didn’t like the man much.

“And who might this lovely lady be?” he asked.

“Maria Lewis, sir,” she replied, proud that she could give her maiden name to someone who wouldn’t even know what her old name was.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he continued, taking her hand and kissing it. “Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to a dance?” Maria glanced at Alex, who seemed a bit mad. Burr noticed where she was looking.

“I’m sure Alexander won’t mind, right? He does have his own wife to spend time with,” Alex’s face darkened at that statement. It sounded as though Burr was accusing him of cheating with Eliza, which he would never do. Though he  _ did _ like Maria, he loved the two of them equally and would never be able to choose between them.

“Of course,” he said with a tight smile. “Go, have fun.” Burr smiled at him, seemingly triumphantly, and led Maria to the dance floor. Alex was watching him twirl around Maria as she laughed at something he said when Eliza came back.

“Well, that was certainly longer than expected. Honestly, Alex, please refrain from criticizing any more influential people for at least a week; it’s getting increasingly harder to get your social status back to where it was,” she sighed.

“Alex?” she asked when there was no response. She turned to see what he was looking at.

“Ohhhh,” she said in understanding as she saw Maria and Burr dancing together. It made her a bit upset as well, to be honest. “Well, we should let her do what she wants. It’s nice to see her smile so much at least.”

“Yeah, but she should be smiling here with us!” Alex said frustratedly. “Are we not enough? Does she genuinely not like us?”

“If she doesn’t, then it’s her decision,” Eliza reminded Alex. “It breaks my heart, but we’ll have to let her go.” Alex sighed. He knew she was right. Though he would miss her terribly, and he knew Eliza would as well, she might one day decide to leave and they'd have to respect that. It was so funny- he had been sure Eliza was all he needed when he married her. But Maria had walked in with her beautiful large eyes and red dress and stolen both of their hearts. And now he couldn’t imagine the way life had been without her by their sides.

“Hamilton,” someone greeted him. He turned around and struggled not to frown.

“Adams,” he replied tersely. Eliza seemed to realize he didn’t want to speak to them and quickly engaged Mrs. Adams in conversation. Alex turned back to watch Maria and Aaron, not caring about seeming rude. John Adams’ eyes followed his and watched them too.

“Who’s that?” he asked.

“Maria,” Alex replied shorty.

“Maria Reynolds? That whore? I hear she-” that was all Adams got out until Alex’s fist slammed into his face. There were gasps and whispers as people began to realize what had happened.

“And her name is Maria  _ Lewis _ ,” Alex snapped, shaking his slightly aching hand.

“Alex…” Eliza sighed. Her gaze shifted to someone behind him. “Maria!” Maria stared at them and fled the room, the sound of skirt of her dress swishing on the floor the only audible thing in the silent room. Alex cursed under his breath. He stood up and ran after her. Eliza quickly muttered an apology to Adams before hurrying after them. They soon caught up to Maria where she was sitting on a bench at a nearby park they frequently ventured to with the kids, her head down and her hair spilling over her arms.

“I’m sorry Maria,” Alex said softly. “I shouldn’t have made a scene. It just made me so angry when Adams was rude to you.”

She raised her head and they could make out the bewildered look she had in her tear-filled eyes in the dying light.

“But  _ why _ ?” she whispered. “Why did you get mad when he said something bad about  _ me _ ? Why do either of you care about me? You’ve given me so much- you’ve let me stay in your house, have let me become a part of your life, and what have I done in return? I almost broke your marriage! We met because I was going to convince you to cheat on you wife! What are you getting out of this?  _ Why do both of you do so much for me? _ ” Tears started streaming down her face as she was talking.

“Because we love you Maria,” Eliza said simply before realizing what she had said. Maia looked up through her tears and blinked.

“What?” she asked, stunned. Eliza sighed.

“Well, it’s all out in the open. Yes, Maria. We love you. Both of us. That’s why we let you in our lives. And we would love it if you stayed there forever,” Eliza explained. Maria looked down.

“I’m afraid,” she admitted. “I’m scared of being in a relationship again, after what happened last time.” Alex took her hand and squeezed it.

“You don’t have to agree to be with us, of course,” he reassured. “We’ll be disappointed, but don’t feel pressured to at all.” Maria thought about it for a while. She stared at the two of them, standing on either side of her and smiling lovingly, gorgeous against the setting sun.

“Okay,” she whispered finally. “It still worries me a bit, but I’m willing to do it. I love you both and I’d love to stay with both of you for as long as possible.” Eliza and Alex laughed, exhilarated, and hugged her. She hugged them back tightly, finally feeling safe and loved once for the first time in a long time in their arms.

“Let’s go home,” Eliza said as she took Alex’s extended arm. Maria smiled as she linked her arm though Alex’s other one. Home. For her, that was wherever Eliza and Alex was. As long as they were all together, she’d be happy. And that would be enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Historical Notes:  
> -Aaron Burr was kind of a heartbreaker in his time- though he was loyal to Theodosia, after she died he was with a lot of women.  
> -He married a woman named Eliza Jumel.  
> -One of Hamilton’s sons was a lawyer for her when she was divorcing him.  
> -Aaron was really close to his daughter and would often write to her about all the ladies he was with.  
> -John Adams was the worst. Yes, that is a fact. He created the Alien and Sedition Acts.  
> -Eliza wore a ring with a lock of Alex's hair in it and it was engraved with the day he died.  
> -And now for a random, weird fact: Alex's ship caught on fire as he was arriving to America.


End file.
